Roller gate construction



May 11, 1937. I J. J. RING 7 2,080,063

ROLLER GATE CONSTRUCTION Filed May 27, 1935 Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROLLER GATE CONSTRUCTION Application May 27, 1935, Serial No. 23,568

8 Claims.

This invention relates to means for keeping free from ice any structures employed to control the flow of water and relates more particularly to structures immersed in water and which must be movable at all times for use in water flow control as in dams or ditches.

Modern dams for flood control, channel depth control for navigation, irrigation projects and similar uses require structures such as gates, trash racks and weirs which must be kept free from ice to be operable at all times of the year and under all climatic and stream conditions. Such gates should also be so designed as to require the minimum of power for their operation regardless of the climatic or stream conditions.

Roller gates are the most practical of the known gate structures which will satisfy the majority of the above requirements. When roller gates of considerable length must be provided, it is necessary to construct such gates of steel which, because of its high-heat conductivity, intensifies the dangers and difiiculties in operation of such .gates due to ice formation. When steel roller gates are used, it is. thereforenecessary to provide means which will minimize ice formation as regards the entire gate and which will prevent ice formation about the portion of the gate forming the abutment with the sill fixed in the dam and also about such portions as are adjacent to the piers of the dam structure itself.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide structures for water flow control in which the formation of ice in such quantities and in such locations as to make operation of the structure difficult or impossible under any conditions, is hindered or prevented.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gate for dams in which the gate is so constructed as to prevent formation of ice on the gate and on the portions of the dam adjacent to the gate at the surface of the water.

' Another object of the invention is to provide a movable gate for dams in which the energy inherent in the dammed water is used to prevent formation of ice about the gate.

' ,ference between the upstream and downstream movab1e gate, herein shown as a roller gate gensides of the gate, is used to prevent freezing in or about the gate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a roller gate structure for dams in which the static hydraulic head upstream of the gate is used to agitate the water in and about the gate to prevent freezing thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide roller gate structure for dams in which the static head of the dammed water is used to bring and to circulate the warmer water from the bottom of the pool upstream of the gate, into and. about the gate to agitate the surface water and to prevent freezing thereof.

Objects and advantages other than those above set forth, will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial vertical sectional view through a dam showing a vertical sectional view of a roller gate embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial horizontal section through a dam and through a roller gate embodying the present invention;

'Fig. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view through a roller gate illustrating a modification of the present invention; and

Fig. 4 is a partial horizontal sectional view taken on the plane IVIV of Fig. 3 to illustrate a portion of the construction thereof.

Referring more specifically to the drawing by characters of reference, the reference numeral 6 designates the piers of the dam defining a spillway to discharge excess water therefrom. A

erally designated by numeral 1, is arranged between the piers 6 to control the level of the water discharging between such piers. The gate 1 is provided, at the ends thereof, with gear rings 8 which mesh in gear racks 9 secured at an angle to the piers 6. A chain H is wrapped around one end of the roller 1 and is attached to suitable means for winding up to cause the gate to roll up the rack to open the spillway as is well known. The'racks and gear rings and the chain are arranged within a recess in one of the piers which recess is substantially closed by end shields l2 which prevent entrance, into the recess, of materials which would clog the F gear teeth and entangle in the chain and thereby hinder lifting of the gate. All of the structure above described is well known to the art and is mentioned herein only for the purpose of providing a complete description of structure to which the novel features embodying the invention may be applied.

The gate itself is formed as a cylinder I3 to which is attached an apron I4. The interior of the cylinder I3 is substantially divided into a plurality of compartments by plates l6 arranged around the inner periphery of the cylinder for bracing purposes and forming a base for attachment thereto of internal braces IT. The apron I4 is attached to the outer periphery of the cylinder and extends therefrom in a substantially tangential direction. The outer edge of the apron is braced against distortion and deformation by suitable braces l8 extending from-the periphery of the cylinder to the outer edge of the apron. It will be seen that the apron forms the portion of the gate which is actually incontact with the dam and which therefore is provided with suitable sealing means (not shown).

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the present invention contemplates the several connections of a plurality, of pipes 2| with ports 22 formed in the apron |4 closely adjacent the edge of the apron inhontact with the dam. Each pipe 2| is provided with a control valve 23 and extends into one of the compartments within the cylinder. The pipes 2|,each terminatein a nozzle 24 which extends below the surface of the water within the cylinder and in such direction as to secure agitation and circulation of the water flowing into each compartment. The cylinder is pro- (vided with ports 26 through which the water delivered to the interior of the cylinder is discharged, such discharge agitating the water all around the downstream exterior of the cylinder.

It will be apparent that as many pipes and nozzles will be applied to each compartment as are required to secure adequate agitation and circulation of the water therein and that the ports 26 are in the portion of the periphery of the cylinder which it as the lowermost point when the gate is in closed position thus preventing closure of the ports by formation of ice there- .in when the nozzles are not in operation.

In the modification shown in Figs, 3 and 4, the pipes 2| are not extended into the cylinder and the cylinder is not provided with the discharge ports 26. The pipes 2| now each terminate in headers 21 which are each provided with a plurality of nozzles 28. The nozzles are shown as being located immediately below the cylinder I3 and as discharging downstream but it must be understood that the location of the nozzles and the direction of their discharge is dependent on the climatic and stream conditions which determine the degree of agitation required about the gate to prevent freezing thereof. Each of the pipes 2| is preferably provided with a valve 29 operable by a stem 30 extending into the interior of the gate cylinder l3 and therefore accessible when such cylinder is closed and is kept dry as is frequently the case.

The structure described above is adapted to prevent water freezing on and immediately about the gate itself but may not be adequate to prevent ice formation in the recesses within the piers I i which contain the racks 9 and other immovable nozzles and the nozzles are so directed and located as to secure agitation of at least the surface water in the recesses and about the ends of the gate extending thereinto. Flow of Water through the conduits 3| is controlled by valves 33 having a valve stem 34 extending upwardly through the pier through a pipe or channel therefor formed in the pier. It will be understood that the number, size and location of the several nozzles 32 are controlled by the conditions previously mentioned as relating to the nozzles 24 within the gate itself.

From the above description when considered with the drawing, it will be clear that the warmer sub-surface water is taken from the pool above the gate by means of the static hydraulic head produced by the gate and is distributed in and about the gate. The heat in such water is imparted to the gate structure and its operating means and the water in and about the gate is agitated thus preventing formation of ice on the gate or on such portions of the dam adjacent thereto as would prevent operation of the gate. The nozzles convert the static head into velocity which produces eddies and whirls and generally agitates the water sufficiently to prevent freezing thereof. The degree of agitation required may be readily determined for each particular case and the number, size, location and direction of dis.- charge of the active nozzles may then be varied to secure such desired agitation. It will be understood that the present invention can be applied to both movable and immovable structures such as gates and trash racks or weirs. respectively, used for water flow control when such structures must be kept free from ice.

available which may be converted into velocity at the structure which must'be kept free from ice.

Although but two embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the "scope of the appended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a hydraulic installation having a definite channel for the flow of water therethrough under hydraulic head, water flow directing means extending across the channel, said means'being required to be free from flow obstructions, a pipe having the inlet thereof connected with the channel upstream of and extending adjacent said flow directing means, and a discharge nozzle con- The only requisite to such use is that a static hydraulic head be nected with said pipe'to convert the'hydraulic head acting in-said pipe into velocity to prevent freezing of water about said nozzle, said nozzle being located at a point adjacent saidfiow directing means to be-kept free from ice.

2. In an installation for controlling the flow of water, a plurality of piers defining a channel for the flow of water therethrough under hydraulic head, a gate movable into and out of flow controlling position in the channel, a pipe having the inlet thereof connected to the channel-and under the hydraulic head, and a discharge nozzle at the outlet end of said pipe and located at a point adjacent said gate to be kept freefrom ice. v

3. In an installation for controlling the flow of water, a plurality of piers defining a channel for the flow of water therethrough,la gate movable into and out of flow controlling position in the channel and producing a hydraulic head in the upstream pool formed by said gate relative to the downstream pool thereof, a pipe extending from the upstream pool to the downstream pool and having the upstream end thereof under hydraulic head, and a discharge nozzle connected to the downstream end of said pipe to convert the hydraulic head acting in said pipe into velocity to agitate the water about said nozzle, said nozzle being located adjacent said gate.

4. In an installation for controlling the flow of water, a plurality of piers defining a channel for the flow of water therethrough, a gate movable into and out of flow controlling position in the channel and producing a hydraulic head in the upstream pool formed by said gate relative to the downstream pool thereof, a pipe extending I from the upstream pool to the downstream pool and having the upstream end thereof under hydraulic head, a plurality of discharge nozzles connected at the downstream end of said pipe to convert the hydraulic head acting in. said pipe into velocity to agitate the water about said nozzles, said nozzles being located adjacent said gate at points to be kept free from ice.

5. In an installation for controlling the flow of water under hydraulic head, a plurality of piers defining a channel for the flow of water therethrough, a gate extending across the channel into recesses in said piers, said gate being movable into and out of flow controlling position in the channel and preventing flow of water into the pier recesses from the upstream pool, a pipe extending from the upstream pool into the pier recesses and having the inlet end thereof under hydraulic head, and a discharge nozzle connected to the said pipe and located within the pier recesses to convert the hydraulic head acting in said pipe into velocity to agitate the water about said nozzle to prevent freezing of water in said pier recesses.

6. In an insulation for controlling the flow of Water, a plurality of piers defining a channel for the flow of water therethrough, a gate movable into and out of flow controlling position in the channel and producing a hydraulic head in. the upstream pool formed by said gate relative to the downstream pool thereof, a pipe extending around said gate and connecting the upstream pool to the downstream pool, and a discharge nozzle connected to the downstream portion of said pipe and located at a point adjacent said gate to be kept free from ice.

7. In an installation for controlling the flow of water, a plurality of piers defining a channel for the flow of water therethrough, a gate movable into and out of flow controlling position in the channel and producing a hydraulic head in the upstream pool formed by said gate relative to the downstream pool thereof and having a space interiorly thereof accessible to the water, a pipe connecting the space Wthin said gate with the upstream pool, and a discharge nozzle connected to the said pipe and located within said gate to convert the hydraulic head acting in said pipe into velocity to agitate the water about said nozzle and prevent freezing of the water thereabout.

8. In an installation for controlling the flow of water, a plurality of piers defining a channel for the flow of water therethrough, a gate movable into and out of flow controlling position in the channel and producing a hydraulic head in the upstream pool formed by said gate relative to the downstream pool thereof, said gate having a space interiorly thereof accessible to the water, a pipe extending intothe space within said gate and through said gate from the upstream pool, and a plurality of nozzles on the downstream portions of said pipe and within said gate to convert the hydraulic head acting in said pipe into velocity to agitate the water about said nozzles to prevent freezing of the water in and about said gate.

JOSEPH J. RING.- 

